Fifty-three Resolute employees shaved their heads this past Sunday, raising an impressive C$98,000 toward a total of $171,000 for Sur la pointe des pieds (On the Tip of the Toes Foundation). The Foundation organizes therapeutic expeditions for young people living with cancer, helping them gain new skills, enjoy new adventures and rebuild self-esteem.

Marie-Hélène Côté participated in an excursion to the Arctic organized by Sur la pointe des pieds before succumbing to her illness. Her parents, Réjean Côté and Dominique Larouche, were inspired to organize the annual Marie-Hélène Côté Shave-o-Thon in order to give back to the charitable organization that brought joy to Marie-Hélène’s last days. Since 2000, the event has raised over $2 million and transformed the lives of hundreds of young people.

The annual Shave-o-Thon celebrates Marie-Hélène’s spirit and joie de vivre, and is held in Saint-Bruno, her native town. The brave “shavees” are supported by friends, family and volunteers, as well as participants from previous years. This year, everyone was thrilled to witness a surprise marriage proposal. André Hachey proposed to Denise Gagné as their heads were being shaved, and she said “yes!” The Resolute delegation brought together workers and union representatives as well as members of management. Many felt an enormous sense of pride in participating in the challenge and representing the company.

Resolute’s involvement in the Marie-Hélène Côté Shave-o-Thon was spearheaded by Karl Blackburn, our director of Canadian Public Affairs and Government Relations. Karl recruited participants from Resolute’s operations and served as honorary chairman of the event. Sur la pointe des pieds is based in Quebec’s Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region, which is also home to numerous company operations and thousands of employees.

We salute our employees and all those who participated in this extraordinary event. Your bold actions do more than raise funds for an important cause; they demonstrate solidarity and inspire others!